The Other Waterbender: Faith in the Enemy
by Midnyghtchilde
Summary: A band of orphans attacks Zuko's ship, and Kat gets left behind. With a heart full of hate for everything Zuko stands for and an attitude as stubborn and unbending as his, can they ever get along? [NOT Romance! Prequel to TOE: Finding the Way]
1. First Encounters

_**A.N. 4-27-07 **- This is the entirely rewritten and changed version of the story, I hope it is more clear, better organized, and more interesting, than the original._

**Disclaimer: Avatar, its world and characters are all Nickelodeon's and not mine!** Kat and her friends are mine though._  
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_**Chapter 1: First Encounters**_

_Almost 2 years ago, not long after Aang, Katara, and Sokka have escape Zuko's grasp at the end for the first time..._

The avalanche rumbled with destructive force. Hunks of snow and ice tumbled downwards as it broke away from the side of the iceberg. Its ominous growl echoes across the frozen wasteland. As chunks of ice strike the Fire Nation ship, metallic thuds are added to the cacophony, followed by the shouts of soldiers. The snow comes to a stop after pushing the ship off at an angle and covering its deck in ice.

Riding the avalanche downwards, five teenagers leap onto the deck. Soldiers stream out of the lower decks like ants and begin to encircle the teens.

The deck quickly became dangerous, coated in ice and water as three teens waterbend to hold off the soldiers. One girl used a thin stream of water as a whip, and sent two soldiers back over the railing into the icy waters below. "Watch it!" she yells to her companions, apparently the leader.

The second girl was visibly younger. She leapt high to avoid the downward arc of a soldier's sword, but was met mid-air by a fireball. Screaming, she fell into the water below, disappearing from sight. They were sorely out numbered yet fought violently and with coordination. Their coordination was the only thing saving them; their moves were intermediate and certainly none of them was a master.

"Kai!" the girl in charge yelled, "Go get Saki!" The teen hesitated for a moment – he didn't want to leave his three friends on the ship, but he was panicking over his sister's fate – then ran for the railing and dove over it.

The remaining three teens were backed into a circle. Despite their disadvantage, 13 injured and barely conscious soldiers lay strewn about the ship's deck. The surprise attack and the coordination had given them a brief advantage, but now it was gone.

Fire came at them from multiple sides. The lead girl swore and brought up a shield of water, freezing it into ice as quickly as possible. It left them singed but mostly unharmed. One of the boys brought up a second ice shield, forming a dome around them.

Through the icy shield they could see the angry orange glow – the fire bending soldiers would melt through their protection in minutes.

"We're going to blow this shield; it'll knock the soldiers back for a second. You two run for it, find Kai and Saki, and get to the southern water tribe," the lead girl commanded. She didn't think, she just acted. _What have I gotten us into?_ she wondered, _I have to get them out of here, now._

"But Kat –" the boy was visibly upset. The two boys were brothers, similar in build and facial features, although the one who spoke up was slightly younger than the other. They were clearly uncomfortable with the idea of leaving her behind.

"No but's – you have to warn the southern tribe. I'll be fine. Ready?" The boys nodded hesitantly. "Good, on the count of three – one, two, THREE!"

Kat and one of the boys raised theirs hands to their chests and then quickly pushed them outwards, as if they were pushing two arguing people apart. The ice dome exploded, sending shards of ice and surprised soldiers flying backwards.

"GO!" The boys broke into a sprint for the side of the ship. Two soldiers struggled to get their footing on the icy deck and go after them. The delay was enough – both boys dove clear over the railing. The fire sent after them hit the railing and dispersed, harmlessly. They were gone.

Kat however, was in trouble. One firebender regained his footing quickly, and a surprise ball of fire struck her back and sent her flying face-first into a bank of snow. Her back was sore and burned, every movement was followed with a new wave of pain. _This was stupid,_ she realized.

She didn't stop though. Leaping to her feet, Kat brought up a wall of water against the next round of attacks. It melted under the assault of fire, and Kat quickly reformed it into a whip and struck the nearest soldier, knocking him down. _What the hell was I thinking?_ she wondered, dodging another blast of fire. She tried to make a run for it, sprinting for the railing. Trying to leap over a fallen soldier, she slipped and hit the deck hard, sliding to a stop.

"How DARE you attack MY ship!"

Kat dared to glance in the direction of the yell as she struggled to get to her feet. With determined steps, a boy about her age was striding towards her. She drew the water at her feet into a whip and struck this new fire bender across the cheek, leaving a small cut. He growled and retaliated by evaporating her whip, then sending another blast at her arm just as she tried to respond again.

The hit to her arm made Kat spin, off balance. She dropped to one knee. _Get up damnit, get up!_ Kat swore at herself, but her body would no longer listen. She looked up at the fire bender. She had cut him just below an angry red scar that stretch across his eye. Her world was spotted with black. Kat managed to push herself back to her feet, only crumple to the ground again, unconscious.

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The room was warm and there was a faint scent of smoke. _Someone must be cooking some fresh caught fish outside_, Kat thought. She inhaled again, and realized the smoke was acrid - the burning smell of coal, and not of cooking fish.

Slowing regaining consciousness, Kat became aware of cold metal on her bare wrists and ankles. Her entire body ached, and her attempt to straighten up was rewarded with a fresh wave of stinging pain as her burned skin cracked and split in response.

She was chained to a wall; hanging limply by her wrists. Her clothes were in tatters, what skin was exposed was damaged in one way or another. Black spots danced again in her peripheral vision; unconsciousness threatened to return. _Smooth move Kat, you didn't really think you could take on the Fire Nation Navy and get away with it did you?_ she chided herself.

The door to the prison creaked as it opened. Two soldiers entered; or it looked like two soldiers to her. One was a physician. He sighed as he approached her, arms full of cloth bandages and a bowl of some sort of foul-smelling salve.

The physician reached towards Kat, a pair of scissors in one hand to cut her free of her clothes. Kat hissed and gathered what little saliva she had and spat at him. "Don't touch me!"

The physician backed up, frowning. "We are under strict orders to tend to your injuries." He reached towards her again, to start by removing her shirt.

Kat bit his hand when it got within range. "I don't want your help!"

"Fine, die here then you water brat!" The physician cursed and grabbed a bandage to hold to his bleeding hand. The door slammed shut and its reverbation slowly faded, leaving Kat with her pain. _What am I going to do now? _she wondered.

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"She won't let anyone get near her, Sir. We've tried three times now. Every time is the same. The more she struggles the more she injures herself. The physician says she may die of her injuries if not treated. She says give her water and she'll do it herself." The soldier finished his report, and bowed.

Zuko frowned. He dismissed the soldier with a wave of his hand. "If we give her water she'll just use it to escape," he stated angrily. "It's a ploy."

"She is badly injured Prince Zuko. She is not in a position to escape I do not think." Iroh replied, sipping a cup of tea. "They say the powerful water benders can heal with water."

"Even if she can I won't risk it!" Zuko was fuming. The past two weeks had been full of ups and downs. He had known hope, when he saw the tower of white light reaching the skies and realized the Avatar was still alive. He had known victory in capturing the young airbender. And he had known defeat, as he watched the avatar and his little friends escape. For the second time in two weeks his ship needed to be dug out of the snow. Zuko hated the South Pole with a passion.

"Perhaps you should go try and convince her to accept medical treatment Nephew." Iroh offered helpfully.

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They would have to release her, or else watch her die. At first, Kat was merely being stubborn; the thought of accepting help from Fire Nation soldiers disgusted her. She hated them, their nation and their leader, and the war they had started. As the hours passed, she realized she did need medical treatment. She continued to refuse it though, on a risky plan.

Whoever was in charge didn't want her die – else they wouldn't have kept sending the physician to try and take care of her. Whether they wanted her for ransom or what, Kat didn't know. She was betting though, that would break down and give her the water if it meant keeping her from dying.

The number and size of the black dots dancing her vision continued to grow as time passed. Kat's plan might have worked, if she had been just a bit stronger, or just a bit less injured, than she was. By the time she heard the door open, for the fourth time, she was conscious through sheer will power only.

"Why won't you accept medical treatment?" The boy with the scar didn't ask, he demanded.

Kat managed a soft, bitter laugh. "I won't take help from fire benders." She wanted to spit at him, but her mouth was too dry.

The boy growled but didn't say anything else. Kat lifted her head a bit, wincing in pain as she did so. His eyes were a startlingly bright gold color. She held his gaze. Kat saw the spark of anger that was there, but more importantly a hint of guilt at her condition.

Zuko stared at the chained up girl. Her eyes were a shade of hazel; brown flecked with gold. They blazed with stubbornness, but were darkened with pain. He felt his stomach turn.

"Bring me water, and I'll do it myself." Kat's voice was weakening, even though her attitude was not. _I can't do this much longer, who's going to break first?_ she thought.

"No." Zuko snapped quickly and left the room. Outside the prison door he paused. Unconsciously his hand lifted, drifting his finger tips across his scar. The water benders burns would leave marks, like his. Seeing the side effects of a fire benders wrath is never pretty.

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The door opened again not 15 minutes later. Two soldiers brought in a metal tub, dropping it to the ground in front of her with a metallic clunk. Three more soldiers brought in buckets of water and poured them in. Four of them stood guard, while the fifth moved towards her. He was cautious. Kat laughed inside her head; five big burly guards to guard a little girl.

When both arms were unlocked from her shackles, Kat tumbled forwards towards the ground. She managed to catch herself with her hands. Her ankles were freed too, but Kat struggled to get to her feet. Every movement brought a new wave of pain. The black spots from her peripheral vision crept into her main sight, sparking and fading.

The soldier offered her a hand up. Kat didn't have the strength to be stubborn anymore; she took it, and he helped her stand. She fell ungracefully into the tub of cold water.

The water swirled with streams of pink and red from her blood. Like pouring oil paint into a stream, her blood drifted and mingled in various patterns. Kat didn't even care that she was still wearing the tattered remains of her clothes. Beneath the water her hands glowed a soft white. Slowly, her wounds began to close. Kat lasted a few minutes, enough to heal the most serious damage, before she passed out in the tub.

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For the second time in 24 hours, Kat found herself rousing from unconsciousness. This time, the room was dimly lit from a port window. It was sometime in the early morning she figured.

Her wrists and ankles were bound again, but this time, with a bit more chain. She was lying on a bed too, or at least, a stiff uncomfortable cot. At least it wasn't the cold metal floor.

Craning her head, Kat looked down at her battered body. Someone had finally managed to put that salve on her burns. Her skin still ached, but it wasn't cracking and blistering anymore. White bandages bound her torso, and they'd given her some plain black pants.

Kat sat up and swung her legs off the bed. She sighed. This wasn't what she had planned. Were Saki, Kai, Tashu and Lei safe? She'd put them into harm's way, and then abandoned them. Some friend she was.

Four days ago Kat and her friends had seen the Fire Nation ship, while they themselves were on their way to the South Pole. Even though it was heading away from the southern water tribe at the time, the teens felt they had to do something, even if it was just slow it down. It was a foolish act fueled by years of hatred against the nation that took their parents away.

They were supposed to strike and slip away. The water and ice of the South Pole was _their_ element.

_That couldn't have gone too much worse_, Kat thought. _Actually it could have, the others could have been hurt more, or I could be dead,_ she corrected herself, _I would be dead if they didn't bring me that water, that was even more stupid._ They were all alive, and that was what really counted.

There was a soft knock at the door, and then it opened. An old man meandered in with a tray full of food in his hands. "I thought you might be hungry." He beamed; it seemed the thought of food made him happy.

Kat narrowed her eyes. Her stomach rumbled a little but she wasn't about to admit it.

"My nephew is a stubborn boy, quick to anger. But he did not mean to hurt you."

Kat found that hard to believe. She didn't really know what to say, so she kept her mouth shut.

"I will just leave this here." The old man bent down and placed the tray on the floor beside her cot. "You need to rest." He bowed slightly, and left.

_His nephew?_ The kindly old man seemed out of place on this Fire Nation ship. In fact, he didn't fit with Kat's stereotypes of Fire Nation people at all. _He must mean the boy with the gold eyes_, Kat thought, _and the scar._ She didn't think of the scar first, although it was the first thing she had noticed the first time she saw him.

"_How DARE you attack MY ship!"_ that was what he said. It was his ship, and he was scarred…Kat frowned as she pieced the information together. She had heard of the banished fire nation prince before. For a time, it had been the hottest gossip in the marketplace. She didn't know his name though.

_If he's the prince, and the old man's his uncle…_ Kat shook her head. That would make the pudgy friendly old man the famed Dragon of the West. That didn't seem right, nor possible. Maybe she was missing something.

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Iroh came back to the prisoner's cell an hour later, this time with a tray of tea. He knocked and entered again. The food was still on the tray, untouched. It made him frown. This girl was as stubborn as his nephew. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Would you share a cup of tea with an old man?" He smiled brightly.

Kat stared at him a moment. No, there was no way this was the Dragon of the West. "Sure…" She sat up on the bed, sliding her legs under her, giving him room to sit at the other end. Iroh poured two cups of tea with the tray in his lap, and offered her one.

Kat raised the cup to her lips, first taking a deep breath. It was ginseng, but with a bit of orange in it. It smelled delightful, but it made her stomach rumble loudly.

Iroh chuckled as he watched her smell it first. "Tea is a joy for many of the senses. My nephew does not appreciate it like you do though it seems."

Kat took a sip, and then lowered the cup. She couldn't help but smile a little.

"Forgive me for being so rude, I am Uncle Iroh."

"So you _are_ the Dragon of the West," Kat murmured, somewhat to herself, "The famous general." She stared into her teacup and bit her lip, hard. _Of all the ships to attack, I have to pick the one with the Banish Prince and Dragon of the West,_ she couldn't believe it.

"_Retired_ General."

He certainly wasn't what she had pictured. Her heart raced as she lifted her golden-flecked gaze to the old man and tried to objectively study him. His belly stuck out and he had a pointed, light grey beard. At first glance, he seemed a jolly old man, perhaps a grandfather with many grandchildren to spoil. _Appearances really are deceiving,_ Kat realized.

"And what is your name?" He asked pleasantly.

"People call me Kat," She stated quietly. _Am I really sitting here having a conversation with the Dragon of the West?_

"A pretty name for a pretty young woman!" Iroh smiled brightly. Already his mind was scheming with how to convince this girl to put up with his nephew. She had shown herself to be a promising young bender, as well as stubborn and strong willed. All were necessary traits for dealing with his hot-headed nephew. _Perhaps he would listen to someone his own age when he won't listen to me,_ he thought,_ Zuko really could use a friend._

Kat blushed almost instantly; she wasn't honestly used to compliments and it was purely reactive. She tried not to let it get to her, but she found herself at ease. _He's your enemy!_ She reminded herself, but it does little good. The tea was calming and the old man kind.

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Kat's stomach rumbled angrily. She was trying to be stubborn, refusing to touch the food on the tray Iroh had brought her yesterday afternoon, but her stomach wasn't making it easy on her. Rolling over on her cot, Kat stared at the tray of food.

"Ahhhhhh screw it." Kat snatched a sticky bun from the tray and took a bite. Icing stuck to her dark lips and she licked it off with a grin. The ship had a decent chef that was for sure. She pictured Iroh in her head and laughed to herself; of course the ship would have good food. _I suppose royalty would have a good chef on board, even banished royalty. _

Kat finished the sticky bun in a few minutes and licked her fingers clean. With every movement her chains clinked and jangled as they hit the metal supports of the cot. It was annoying, but she tried to ignore it. She looked down at the tray again and grabbed an orange. Sitting cross-legged she began to peel it with her finger nails.

There was a knock at the door, but Kat didn't bother lifting her head. She raised her gaze a bit though, and saw red robed legs as the door opened from beneath a few strands of dark brown hair.

Iroh looked first to the tray on the floor, and seeing it mostly untouched, he frowned. But then he looked at the teenager on the cot and saw the orange in her hands and smiled. "Here, some fresh fruit and still-hot bread, you should eat, it will help you heal."

It was almost impossible to be angry or rude to such a kindly old man. Her inability to be angry with the old general frustrated Kat to no end suddenly. They were her enemy, and yet here she was making small talk with the Dragon of the West. _He's responsible for hundreds, maybe thousands of deaths in the war!_ Kat tried to remind herself of who he was, but she couldn't stir up her righteous anger.

Iroh sat with a tray of tea in his lap and poured a cup for each of them. _I only get liquids when I'm being watched_, Kat realized as she watched him. She smirked; a ship full of firebenders afraid of one lone waterbender.

"Thank you." Kat took her teacup with both hands, raising it and inhaling the steam as it rose. "So what is he going to do with me?" She decided to cut right to the point, rather than further muddle her opinion of fire nation citizens.

"I do not think my nephew has considered that yet. He expected to have the Avatar as his prisoner, not a waterbender."

"The _Avatar_?" Kat gasped, her steely eyes widening with surprise. "You've seen him?"

"He was on this very ship not too long before you and your friends arrived." Iroh chuckled, "He too buried the ship in snow and ice."

_The Avatar is alive! And was at the South Pole!_ Kat couldn't believe it. She had heard the stories of course. _There is hope!_ Hope for the end of the war, hope for peace. She couldn't help but smile. Then it hit her.

"…Why did you expect to have the Avatar as a prisoner?" Her smiled instantly faded.

"Prince Zuko has been seeking the Avatar for two years. He believes capturing the Avatar is the only way for him to restore his honor." Iroh stared down into his teacup.

_He wants to hand the Avatar over to the Fire Lord?!_ Kat frowned sharply, _he's worse than I thought!_ Her lips parted to speak, but no words came out. She shut her mouth and looked down at her own tea. "Why?"

"That is a long story Miss Kat," Iroh sighed. His breath sent ripples across the shimmering brown surface of his tea. He looked up at the young woman. Although she was trying to hide it, she was clearly angry. It was understandable. "My nephew was banished from his home by his own father. He believes that if he captures the Avatar his father will welcome him home."

Kat's brows furrowed. It didn't make a lot of sense; _what kind of man banishes his own son? _It wasn't new information though; Kat had heard that much before. "Why was he banished?" She knew a lot of rumors, stories of horrible atrocious things that the Prince was said to have done to earn his banishment.

"That is a story for another time, Miss Kat. I should be going." Iroh turned and exited the room. He wanted to tell her the sad tale of Zuko's banishment, but it wasn't the right time yet.

"Oh," unable to think of anything else to say, Kat just sipped her tea.

"I do not like to see a young woman chained up. Perhaps my nephew could be convinced to let you wander the ship freely, if you were to promise to behave." Iroh stood up, and bent to pick up the tray of tea. "Perhaps something could be worked out?"

"I….I'll think about it," Kat stammered.

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"You want me to do WHAT?" Zuko's shout echoed down the metal hallway.

"Keeping a young woman locked up is not proper Prince Zuko." Iroh was calmly sitting at the wooden table, staring at a Pai Sho board. "I am sure you can convince her not to run away, she is a reasonable young lady."

"She attacked MY SHIP!" Zuko was pacing the room, back and forth. He stopped to stare at his uncle, with flames leaping from his clenched fists. "Or have you forgotten that already?!"

Sliding a game piece across the board, Iroh sighed. _Teenagers can be so stubborn_.

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_Kat dreamed. She stood before an old rickety wooden earth kingdom house. Kai, Tashu, Lei, and Saki were beside her. She raised her arm and threw a rotten chicken-ferret egg at the house. It smacked into the wall, breaking and splattering its putrid yellow liquid all over it. Her friends followed suit and the wet smacking sound of eggs hitting the house filled her ears, along with their laughter. The house was covered in no time._

"_Katsumi!"_

_She spun around, immediately hiding the egg in her hand behind her back._

"_Katsumi Saifong what on earth do you think you're doing?"_

_An older woman stalked down the road, materializing from the mists that shrouded the world behind them. Her dark blue eyes glared angrily at the group of teens. "What do you think you're doing?" _

"_M…Mom?!" Her jaw dropped and she stared. The woman was tall and shapely. Long brown hair was piled on top of her head in a bun. She had a hawkish nose and high cheekbones that gave her an air of aloof beauty. Her robes were the pale blue of the water tribe. _

"_Don't you stare at me like that Katsumi. You know what you've done." She shook her head, brows furrowed with anger and disbelief. "How could you Kat?" she softened and sighed._

"_He…he's Fire Nation!" Kat protested, letting the egg in her hand drop to the ground._

"_That's not an excuse, look at him."_

_She turned back to the run down house and saw that an old man had come out onto the porch. He walked with a cane; he was missing a leg. Taking a look at the mess that covered his house, and the garden below that had been trampled down, he began to cry. Kat frowned and looked back to her mother._

"_How could you treat him like that?" She was clearly disappointed in her daughter._

_Kat stared at the ground, she couldn't face her mother. "I…I…he's FIRE NATION!" She sighed with exasperation, "He…he deserved it!"_

"_The citizens of the Fire Nation are no more responsible for the war than you or I are. Blame the men who started the war, and those that continue it. Blame the men that carry war in their hearts Kat, and no one else. If you carry so much hate in your heart it will corrupt you too one day."_

"_But...but…they took you from me!" Kat began to cry. She wanted to turn and look at the old fire nation man again, but she can not. She can only look at her mother and see the disappointment in her eyes._

"_No one can take us away from you Kat, not if you remember." She hugged her daughter briefly, and then turned to leave._

_Kat reached out for her, grabbing the soft blue robes, but they slipped through her fingertips._

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	2. A Deal to Fight

_**A.N. 4-27-07** - This is the re-written version of the story, I hope it's better developed, please review!._

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_**Chapter 2: A Deal to Fight**_

A week passed, and Kat did not see the old general again. One of the younger soldiers brought her food twice a day. They stopped chaining her to the bed by the third day. She was allowed to leave twice to visit the bathroom and shower. When they did let her leave her room she was chained and blindfolded while escorted. They did leave her alone in the bathroom, standing watch at the door, but as far as Kat could guess, it was in the middle of the ship. They never went the same way twice, ensuring that Kat was lost.

Kat tested the thickness of the ships walls in her room, and in the bathroom. There was no where to go; she'd never be able to cut through that much metal. She considered jumping the two guards and taking off running, but there was no way to plan an escape. Without knowing her way around, she'd just be caught again.

Without any warning knock, the door flew open.

"Evening," Kat sat up and looked to the door and immediately snapped her mouth shut.

Zuko rolled his eyes, and thrust the tray at Kat. "Here."

"But, where's the soldier who normally brings it?" She reached out and took the tray. The moment she had one hand on it, Zuko started to let go, and the cup of hot tea begin to slide. Kat cursed under her breath and quickly grabbed on with her other hand.

"Busy, with my uncle. He said to bring this here. If you don't want it –"

"No! I do." Setting the tray in her lap, Kat drew her legs back under her for a more stable seated position. "So…you're Prince Zuko?"

Other than a faint twitch of his brow, Zuko didn't react. After a moment, he nodded. "Yes, I am."

She studied him for a minute. He stood straight, his posture was impeccable, chin tilted slightly upwards. He couldn't be any older than she was, maybe 17 at the outside. The snug black tunic he wore was trimmed in red and gold and sleeveless; it showed off his physique. She thought his pony tail and shaved forehead looked ridiculous.

"So how'd you get your scar?" Tact isn't something Kat ever learned, or cared about.

"It's none of your business," Zuko hissed. He spun on his heel and started to stalk out of the room.

"No! Wait!" Kat jumped to her feet and dashed the few steps to the door. The guards immediately rushed into action, weapons drawn and ready to stop her from trying to run.

Zuko held up his hand and both guards back off. He turned, still standing in the doorway, and stared at his prisoner. "Well?"

"I…Look," she took a deep breath and then let her shoulders sag. "I'm tired of being locked up here. It's your ship, its crawling with fire nation soldiers and fire benders. I can't GO anywhere; I don't even know where we are. So, let's make some sort of a deal."

The Prince studied his waterbending peer with a faint hint of interest. She is about his height and only slightly smaller. They gave her some old soldier armor; plain black pants and a black tunic that is a few sizes too big, but she's knotted it off to keep it snug. The men's clothing didn't hide her curves. She's neither as striking as his sister nor athletic as Ty Lee; she's actually fairly average.

_Except for her _eyes he realized. He's seen her fight and knows she's a water bender, but she doesn't have their blue eyes. Hazel is the best description: they're a light to medium brown spotted with gold. _The only nation where gold eyes are common is my own._

After a pause, Kat continued, "Alright…so you let me wander the ship and…I'll spar with you, every day."

"I practice with my men."

"Sure, but they're not water benders." Kat tries to sound as persuasive as possible; it's not a bad deal and she's getting desperate to get out of her room.

After a minute, Zuko nods, "Alright. Every day at sunrise." With that, he turns and leaves, and beckons for the guards to follow with him.

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"Good morning Miss Kat!" The old general offered cheerfully as he opened the door. "I was not sure what you liked and so I brought a little bit of everything."

Kat glanced up from her bed, and sure enough the plate was heaped with food; a few types of bread and sticky buns, eggs, a few kinds of meat, and several pieces of fruit. "Morning Uncle Iroh." She's not a morning person. Matter of fact, she hated morning people, yet here was the old man, grinning brightly even though the sun isn't up yet. The only reason Kat was up was because she was nervous.

Iroh set the tray down on her bed, and straightened back up. "I was glad to hear that you and my nephew have worked out a deal. I think that sparring together will ultimately benefit you both. You both have much to learn.

Kat had seated herself and was already was pulling pieces off the sticky bun. She swallowed quickly, "Depends how he feels losing to a girl." She smirked and licked icing off her lips.

"Ah, you will be a challenge, but I am sure he is up to it. Finish your breakfast and come to the top deck."

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The fresh air felt good. A week below deck was far too long to be kept out of the sunlight and away from the fresh air. A light breeze stirred as the ship cruised along, and brushed Kat's hair back from her face. Taking a deep breath, Kat took a minute just to appreciate the sunlight and blue sky over head after being locked in her room for four days.

Kat stretched, reaching her arms skywards and rising on her tip toes for a minute, before exhaling. It was just plain good to be outside. She began to pull her hair back, weaving the dark mahogany brown strands into a tight braid before pulling it over her shoulder and tying off the end with a bit of string.

Zuko was practicing his firebending. Two unlucky soldiers were his targets. Kat took a minute to watch him. He wore loose black pants and a snug black shirt, trimmed in gold. As far as she could guess he'd be an even challenge; they were both brimming with raw talent, but lacked the experience to mold it into something better.

Kat turned away from the open deck, and wandered over to the railing. Leaning over it, she stared at the water as it rushed past below. Lost in the ripples of the water, Kat remembered learning to water bend a few years earlier.

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"_No Kat, like this!" Kai stood beside her, legs shoulder-width apart, and raised his right hand over his head. His palm faced outwards, thumb folded across it. Moving it in a circular, clockwise sweep, Kai brought his hand down, twisting his palm upwards, rotating his thumb back out as well. As he did so, the water in the small stream rose upwards in a slender column, and then fell back down again._

_Kat mimicked his position, his movements. The water in front of her shimmered, bulged at the surface, and then flattened out again. "Damnit!" Kat stomped her foot on the ground. "Why can't I get this one?"_

"_Just keep at it, you'll get it." Kai smiled at her. He was her best friend out of their little group of water tribe orphans. They were all friends – Katsumi, Kai, Suki, Lei, and Tashu – but Kat and Kai were always together._

_They practiced their novice water bending in private, at a small creek that ran behind their over-crowded house. They were careful not to be seen. Their small village was free of Fire Nation soldiers, but troops did occasionally pass through on their way elsewhere. They couldn't risk being known as benders, especially as water benders in a small earth kingdom town._

_Kat sighed, and slid one leg back out into a more comfortable, wider stance. She tried again, raising her hand and repeating the circular motion Kai had shown her. This time the water climbed a little higher, but still not the slender column Kai could manage. "Ugh!" the water splashed back downwards again. "I wish we had a real teacher."_

"_We'll make it to the North Pole one day Kat, soon as we have some extra money for traveling supplies." Kai was always optimistic. It offset Kat's cynicism._

"_With the way things are around here, I'll be old and gray before that day comes!" She turned back to the water, and tried again, with the same sad results. _

"_It'll be sooner than you think." Kai dropped into a bending stance beside her and repeated his own motions, showing her again how he did it. "And then we'll go to the South Pole after that and find out if we have relatives."_

"_I can't wait." Kat watched him then repeated it once more. This time, the water rose in a two foot column, before splashing down to the ground as Kat bounced up from her stance and shrieked "I did it!"_

-------------------------------------------------

"Don't even think about jumping overboard. We're miles from any land." Zuko's sharp voice brought Kat out of her reverie.

"I wasn't." She snapped quickly, straightening up. "I was just enjoying being outside."

Kat was one of the few people who immediately met Zuko's gaze. It unnerved him a little. Iroh was another, but he was family. Most of the solider and ship's crew always looked away, up or down, anything to avoid meeting his stern gold eyes. Zuko wasn't sure if they were down right afraid of him, or if they were just afraid of being caught staring at his scar. Either way, it was unusual for someone to meet his gaze head on.

Kat looked away, back at the clear blue water. It sparkled in the sun for miles in every direction, finally fading at the horizon where it blended with the paler blue of the sky. There wasn't any land in sight. Leaning over the rail, Kat stretched out her hand. From far below the water snaked upwards in a thin ribbon towards her hand, until she had a fairly good sized orb of it. She stepped back from the rail, keeping the water spiraling neatly as she walked towards the open deck.

"Ready to lose to a girl?" Kat grinned wickedly, turning back towards Zuko. Her attitude had not been damped by being taken prisoner. _I can at least try to have some fun with this._

"I doubt it." Zuko scoffed haughtily. There was no way some water tribe peasant would beat him. Water benders were limited by their own element – even out here at sea.

The two teenagers took their fighting stances. Kat waited for Zuko to make the first move; it didn't take long.

Zuko executed a clean spin-kick, sending a large fireball straight at Kat. They weren't pulling any punches, despite it being a sparring match.

Kat blocked it easily, bending her globe of water into a large ice shield. When the fireball struck it, it melted, and Kat gracefully returned the water to a globe without losing a drop.

She didn't have much time though; Zuko began throwing fireballs hard and fast. Kat shielded once more, blocking two fireballs. She didn't even have time to turn the water to ice a third time, but rather opted to side step the ball of fire. At the same time, she lashed out with a water whip, grabbing Zuko's ankle and giving it a tug.

Zuko stumbled as his leg was pulled out from under him. His jet of fire went wide of Kat as he fell backwards. He was down for only a second; a quick kick-up and he was on his feet.

It gave Kat enough time to get a few offensive moves in though. Another water whip came down on him, slashing his arm as it did so. Her next whip was evaporated by a blast of flames though.

The fight was fast but clunky. Neither fighter knew the others style. Both teens took a few burns and cuts before Zuko raced forwards, with daggers of fire streaming both clenched fists.

Physically, Zuko was simply stronger and faster than Kat. It came down to years of combat training, versus a few months experience. Kat tried to side step and use Zuko's momentum against himself, but she wasn't fast enough. Zuko was behind her before she could pivot. Flames licked at her neck for a moment, before dissipating.

Zuko stepped back. Kat turned around, panting.

"What was that about being beaten by a girl?" The prince smirked with pride.

"Tch," Kat clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and wrinkled her nose; "I was rusty!"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You'll never beat me." He turned and headed across the deck, towards the stairs leading back down below.

"Will too!" She yelled after him. "Ugh." Kat exhaled in a loud puff. _Great, an ego boost was __**just**__ what he needed._ She walked back over to the railing and bended some more water back into her hands. _Guess I better start practicing more_.

-------------------------------------------------

Flopping over onto her back, Kat sighed loudly. She was exhausted; her limbs ached a little; yet she couldn't sleep. Throwing open the blankets and sheets, Kat sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The metal floor of the ship was freezing cold. She quickly dashed over to the tiny metal dresser. The spare soldier's room was small and had almost nothing in it, just the cot, dresser, and a small desk.

Kat figured she should be happy that she wasn't in chains in a cell somewhere really, but was a rug too much to ask for? _I bet Iroh would get me a rug for the floor,_ she mused to herself. Kat quickly pulled on socks and dressed in her plain soldier's pants and shirt.

She pulled the door to her open as quickly as she could muster. _Don't they __**ever**__ oil the door hinges?_ The hallway was empty. She stepped lightly as she moved down the hall and after a few wrong turns, found her way back up on deck.

The moon was only about half full, maybe a little bit more. But the sky was clear, free of clouds, so the moon was plenty enough light to see by. The deck was deserted. Way up over head in the water tower two soldiers kept themselves entertained.

Kat moved to the railing, leaned over, and drew the water upwards in a thing stream. Her muscles ached. Ignoring her muscles dull pulsing protests, Kat took a few steps away from the railing and began to bend.

She wasn't about to practice any combat moves, but rather calmly moved the water back and forth. Kat focused on the water's fluidity as she stretched it into a long, thick strand and began to twirl it. The water snaked around her body as she raised her hands, wrapping around her a few times before snaking free and rising into the air.

The water shone with what moonlight there was, reflecting a pale white-silver light on its blue surface. Kat stepped forwards; the water that encircled her stepped with her. The free end which rose upwards snaked higher over Kat's head. It finally reached its peak, and like a fountain, began to drip and splash downwards. As the water droplets fell, shimmering on the way down, they collided with the swirls of water around Kat and were swept back up into the cycle. Kat stood with one hand raised above her head, controlling the peak and the other at waist height, keeping the water flowing in a spiral around her body.

Despite the protests from her muscles, the simple bending was relaxing to Kat. Being surrounded by her element calmed her. Focusing on bending the water quieted her mind.

From the doorway to below deck, Zuko watched Kat. It wasn't often he watched other benders with their element. _Actually, I can't remember ever watching someone bend for fun_. In the Fire Nation, all bending was for combat. Fire benders practiced fighting with their bending ever day. Fire just wasn't an element that could be easily controlled for the hell of it. And the Fire Nation was focused on war, not pleasure. The showmen at the occasional fire nation festival were the only fire benders who made a spectacle out of their bending.

Kat raised her arm that had been at waist level. The spiral of water coursed upwards, like condensing a spring. With both arms raised, Kat gathered the water into one large sphere and brought it back down to chest level again. Then she stuck one arm out, and let the water envelop it from the shoulder down. It clung easily to her arm, but didn't make it wet.

With a sweeping circular motion of her arm, Kat drew the water off her arm, upwards into a high arc. The water continued its arc, wriggled like a snake before it disappeared over the railing and returned to the ocean below with a soft splash.

Kat opened her eyes. The deck was still deserted. She headed back to her room to get some sleep.

-------------------------------------------------

_Zuko dreamed. It was sunny and hot and the marketplace bustled with people. Azula stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder._

"_Look at them, they're so plain and simple!" She pointed at a passing woman, carrying one child and flanked by two more. "Look! They're filthy," she spat on the ground, "It's disgusting Zuko. Aren't you glad we're not like them?"_

_Zuko remained quiet, he watched the people go by. One of the children runs to a merchant who is selling toys, and grabs a simple wooden car. "Mama please!" The woman shook her head, taking the toy from her son and handing it back to the merchant, "No, we can't afford that hunny."_

"_Well, aren't you? We have everything we need. We are powerful, and rich. We are so much better than they are." Azula laughed haughtily. "Come on, let's have some fun!" She smiles the only way she knows how: evilly._

_His sister dashed into the small market and began throwing fireballs. Vendor's wares go up in flames as they wail in protest. She destroys just to watch things burn. It's a demonstration of power._

"_Zuko what are you doing?" _

_He spun around and found himself face to face with his mother. "Mom! I…"_

"_You should stop her Zuko, you know that." Ursa sighed and shook her head sadly. "You're not better than they are. You are lucky to have the things you need, they are not. It doesn't make you any better. You must learn that."_

"_But…Azula…"_

_Ursa didn't listen. She turned away, and headed into the crowd of crying peasants. Bending, she scooped up a small girl and hugged her._

-------------------------------------------------

"Noooo, just a few more minutes!" Kat whined, swatting at whoever or whatever was shaking her side. She twisted in bed, finally opening her eyes.

"It's still DARK!" She moaned in protest and rolled over onto her back. Water tribe members just generally were not early birds. But then again, their spirit was the moon after all.

Iroh poked Kat in the side once more. "Come on, get up Miss Kat. It is time for your sparring match with my nephew again."

"Uuuuugh." Kat rolled out of bed after a bit more prodding. "Why so early?"

"Prince Zuko always practices at sunrise Miss Kat. Practice, and then breakfast. It is a daily ritual, and now it is your duty as part of your deal." Iroh stood with his hands clasp inside the sleeves of his red Fire Nation robes.

Kat grumbled under her breath. "Just gimmie 5 minutes and I'll be there."

-------------------------------------------------

The two teens faced each other again. Kat shrugged off her sleepiness; she was intent on beating Zuko this time. Having had a chance to rethink the previous morning's fight, Kat felt a little better prepared this time around. She also opted to keep a pouch of water tied to a belt that was snug around her waist, as well as draw up a globe of water from the ocean below.

Again, Zuko made the first offensive move, sending a rapid-fire succession of fire blasts at Kat. She blocked with an ice shield, keeping it up with one hand and at the same time, using the other send a spray of water on the deck beneath Zuko's feet. She froze it, taking away his traction just as he tried to execute a spin-kick.

Zuko lost his balance, stumbling, but not falling. Kat sent another splash of water at his feet, freezing them in place, while at the same time lashing out with a water whip. Melting the ice on his feet quickly, he grunted with annoyance. The first water whip struck him, knocking him back a step. The second evaporated as it collided with a fire ball.

Having pushed Zuko to the defensive, a position that fire benders were slightly weaker in, Kat didn't let up. Another water whip, this one wrapping around his wrist and freezing over his hand, caught Zuko mid-motion. His hand glowed an angry red and hissed as the ice melted and went straight to steam.

Kat pushed the entire ball of water she had at him while he tried to recover. The large wave of water washed over Zuko, and she froze it, effectively trapping him.

Zuko struggled, trying to melt his way free, but it was too thick. Kat raised her hand and the ice melted, falling to the deck with a splash.

"You just got lucky, that's all." Zuko growled, annoyed at having lost. _At least I know she's not holding back, not like some of the soldiers do sometimes._ He wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "It won't happen again."

"Yeah, right." Kat laughed. Her laughter made several of the soldiers glance at her; laughter wasn't a common sound on their ship. It made several of them smile, infectiously.

Iroh looked on as he leaned against the ship's railing. _Healthy honest competition, it will be a good thing for Zuko to learn to lose gracefully, and more importantly, win gracefully._ He grinned widely; having them spar together had been a wise idea.

-------------------------------------------------

"What is your problem?!" Kat shouted across the deck. She was panting, sweat dripping down her face. Her lower forearm was burned a dark angry red. "Why can't you accept that you LOST!"

"You got LUCKY!" Zuko hissed, climbing to his feet. He was soaking wet, the deck of the ship was covered in water and spotted with ice here and there. Other practicing soldiers had stepped to the far railing, out of the way.

It had started as a normal morning sparring match; day three of the new routine. Kat had won, surprisingly. Both were very basic in their bending skills, but Kat was more flexible than Zuko; she could improvise.

"I did NOT. I won, with SKILL!" She yelled back. Already Kat was gathering water from the deck and preparing a globe of water, swirling at waist level.

Kat had won that first match, and Zuko had demanded a rematch. The second match had quickly dissolved from sparring into an out-and-out fight when Kat slipped and left a nasty cut on Zuko's forehead from a ball of ice. Zuko immediately retaliated. Angry, his firebending grew more violent.

"You don't have any skill, peasant." Zuko spat out the words as he straightened. His shirt was ripped in a few places, as were his pants; a particularly nasty cut on one leg dripped blood onto the deck.

"I DO TOO!" Kat screamed, losing what little bit of her temper was left. Zuko was mildly injured, Kat was worse. Her lower fore arms were burned; he had grabbed both wrists and burned them to get her to drop the water she was using. Her cheek was cut and pink from taking a face-plant on the icy deck, and her pant leg was burned away, her leg blistering from a nasty burn. "You aren't as good as you think you are!" She scoffed, holding her head up high.

"And what you know about anything, peasant?" Zuko sneered.

"Aaahh!" Kat lashed out with her water, starting the fight all over again. Her whip slashed at Zuko's arm, he retaliated with a blast of fire. She side stepped, he round house kicked and sent another wave of fire in her direction. Kat ducked and brought the water on the deck up in a shield, then blasted it outwards, sending shards of ice at Zuko.

"ENOUGH!" A fireball flashed between the two teenagers. Iroh frowned. "Prince Zuko, go see the medic about your injuries. Miss Kat, take some water and go to your room."

The old man got death glares from both teens.

"He just can't –"

"She's the one who –"

"ENOUGH! Both of you, off the deck. Now."

Kat glared at Zuko, who sneered at her. Both of them stormed off in opposite directions.

_So much for learning to lose gracefully._ Iroh sighed, and folded his hands into the sleeves of his robes.

"Why can't I have her bound and thrown into the ocean Uncle?" Zuko was pacing in their private dining room.

"Because that would not be very kind of you, Prince Zuko." Iroh took a sip of his tea. "And I do not think Miss Kat would appreciate it."

"I don't care what she would appreciate! She's just a peasant!" Zuko almost shouted; the flames of the candles licked higher for a moment before shrinking back to normal.

Iroh sighed heavily. "She is not like the soldiers my nephew. She is a headstrong young adult, like you. You can not expect her to bend to your will."

Zuko growled and ignored his uncle. "Well then are we going to do with her; she can't stay here."

"You are the one who took her prisoner Nephew," Iroh took a bite of his fish and chewed it thoughtfully. "Perhaps after the ship is repaired we could take her back to the South. Pole."

"And lose the Avatar's trail?!" Zuko spun around, glaring at his uncle. "Never. I won't lose the Avatar just to take some water tribe bitch back home."

"Zuko!" It was Iroh's turn to glare at his nephew. "Watch your tongue!"

"She's rude, stubborn, and clearly doesn't know how to properly treat those who are above her!"

_Sounds like someone else I know_, Iroh though to himself, but managed to keep a straight face. "Perhaps we could drop her off at the next place we make port, after the ship is repaired that is."

"That is too long!" Zuko finally stopped pacing and dropping into a chair, sulking.

"Until then you should look on the positive side of things, you will be well practiced against water benders!" Iroh grinned, forever optimistic.

-----------------

* * *


	3. Spiteful Words Reward Good Deeds

_**A.N. 4-27-07** - This is the re-written version of the story, I hope it's better developed, please review!._

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Spiteful Words Reward Good Deeds  
**_

For the next few mornings Kat was up just before sunrise, and on deck just as the first rays of sun began to come over the horizon. Most of the time Zuko won, occasionally though, Kat did. Each evening, Kat snuck out onto the ship's deck and relaxed with her waterbending, and unbeknownst to her, Zuko watched.

Kat fell into a schedule of sparring, breakfast, exploring the ship, and practicing her bending. It certainly wasn't a bad life, and she didn't _feel_ like a prisoner, though technically she still was. Her explorations were centered on finding a way to escape. The few escape boats on the sides of the deck in the back of the ship were too well secured, and too exposed, to be a viable route of escape. Below deck, the few port windows were far too small, and besides they were sealed shut. Kat was forced to accept her position: until they docked, she wouldn't be getting away from Zuko.

The ship limped northwards, damaged from both attacks at the South Pole. Occasionally Kat saw the distant shapes of islands on the horizon. As best she could guess, they were the old Air Nomad lands, tall towering mountain peaks that rose sharply up from the sea floor. Her bending wasn't strong enough to make it across the sea to them. And even if it was, she wouldn't be able to climb their heights, and chances are they were abandoned. The last Kat had heard the air nomads were all dead. It would be suicide to leave the ship and try to make it to them.

The ship closed in on medium sized island. Kat anticipated their arrival, making an escape plan in her mind.

The soldiers said they would be docking by mid afternoon, so Kat spent the morning on the deck. She watched the horizon anxiously.

In the distance, large ships loomed. They were twice as big as theirs, and more. Lazy clouds of smoke belched from their smokestacks and clouded the sky.

Kat's spirits fell. _It's a Fire Nation Naval Base,_ she realized, _I can't try and escape here._

Zuko ordered Kat to stay below deck and although she rolled her eyes at him, she didn't need to be told to do it. The piers were crawling with Fire Nation soldiers, and she had enough trouble dealing with just this one fire bender. As much as she wanted to take the opportunity to flee – she was after all left alone, unchained, on the ship – the place was nothing but a Fire Nation outpost, she had no where to go. At least here she had a deal with Zuko, who so far was a man of his word.

Kat began to wonder when they would actually stop at a real town; it had been just over two weeks already.

From a port window, she watched Iroh and Zuko until they disappeared from view, following some Fire Nation soldier. Or maybe he was a general, or something, it wasn't as though Kat knew the difference.

Bang! Something crashed in the ship, echoing and reverberating through the ships hull. Kat jumped, and dashed into the hallway.

Down the stairs came three Fire nation soldiers that were definitely not part of the ship's crew.

"You there! Stop!"

Kat turned and spring down the other end of the hallway. She still wasn't that familiar with the ship, despite having been on board for about two weeks. She got lost after a few more turns, and hoped the soldiers had too. _Why are they here? What's going on?_

Kat skidded to a halt in a dead end. She took a few steps back, to her right, was a door. She reached for the handle, only to be blocked by a blast of fire. She jerked her hand back. Another blast at her feet made her jump backwards.

Two soldiers came towards her. _I should start carrying a water pouch all the time, _Kat thought to herself, wishing she wasn't defenseless. Despite her sparring with Zuko, she had yet to learn a weapon.

The soldiers finally dared to grab her, realizing she had no weapons. They spun her around and clasp her hands behind her back. "You're coming with us."

"Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape." The guard stood in the doorway to the small room. In front of him, Zuko and Iroh were blocked by guards with crossed spears.

"Now remind me…. How exactly was your ship damaged?" Zhao smirked as he turned to Zuko.

Outside in the hallway, behind the first guard, Kat fidgeted with the metal cuffs that bound her wrists. _If I had some water I could cut through these damn things._ Kat hissed angrily to herself. _What kind of idiot gets caught so off guard?_ Her wrist cuffs clinked with her movements. Behind her, a second guard glared at her. She wasn't listening to the conversation going on inside the room, not until she heard a thud as Zuko kicked over a table.

The first guard stepped back as Zhao exited the room. He stopped in the doorway, staring at Kat.

"We found her on board Prince Zuko's ship, Sir. We think she's water tribe, despite her clothing."

The way Zhao looked her over made Kat want to hurl. His eyes lingered far too long on her chest and then her waist, before returning to her face. When he did, Kat spat at him.

Zhao growled, stepping forwards rapidly and grabbing Kat's long hair, which had fallen free of its braid. He yanked her head backwards, forcing her to stare up at him. Her spit dripped down his craggy cheek. "Definitely a water brat, she has their attitude problem." He straightened, but didn't let go of her hair. Something in her fierce hazel gaze reminded him of the Prince behind him: defiant to the end.

"I never would have thought you'd be keeping a girl on board Zuko. Finally get lonely out there at sea?" Zhao grinned wolfishly.

Kat wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. She struggled against her restraints.

"Let her go!" Kat couldn't see him, but she could hear Zuko's angry growl.

"I think she may have knowledge about the Avatar, I'll have to…_personally_ interrogate her." Zhao hissed, turning back to the guards. "Take her to my tent."

--------------

Kat had been left alone for a few hours. She was shackled to the tent pole, with nothing in arm or legs length to even try to use to get free. The guards had stripped her to her plain white under wear before securing her around the tent pole.

Try as she might, Kat could find no water in the tent to bend to herself either.

The tent was sparse: a cot, a rug on the floor, and a table covered in maps. A lantern hung from a hook at the top of the tent pool, but it was too high for Kat to reach. As far as she could tell from the gap between the tent flaps, it was early evening. Soon it would be dark.

Kat felt sick to her stomach. The way Zhao had looked at her infuriated and disgusted her. And although she had already suspected what "personally interrogate" really meant, the soldier's crude remarks and laughter as they stripped her of her clothes had confirmed her worst fears.

_I __**have**__ to get out of here!_ She shuddered with fear and loathing and drew her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

The darker it got outside, the darker it got inside the tent, because the lantern wasn't lit. _And it's not like fire benders have any need for matches or flint._ Kat sighed as she found herself alone, cold, and in the dark.

The rustle of foot steps outside made her tense. _He'll have to unlock these shackles, and when he tries to touch me I'll, I'll,..._ Kat tried to mentally prepare herself despite the tremble in her hands.

The tent flaps flew open.

The man was clothed in black, with broadswords on his back. He was as tall as Zhao, but slimmer. His face was obscured by a blue and white festival mask.

He didn't speak as he stepped towards her, drawing one of his swords. It whistled as it cut through the air; Kat winced. With a metallic twang, Kat found her hands free. She was on her feet in an instant.

He gestured with a tilt of his head towards the back of the tent. Moving quickly, he cut through the canvas with his sword, stepped through, and held it open for her. Kat stepped through it and he immediately dropped it and began to job. She didn't have much of a choice except to follow him.

The two dashed quickly past tents, keeping as close to the shadows as possible. The sun having just set helped them, but Kat's white under garments still stood out.

She had no idea where they were, or how to get to Zuko's ship, so she was forced to race after her masked savior.

He gestured with hand motions as they kept their backs against walls and peered around. The closer they got to the piers, the harder it was to stay hidden. Lanterns lit the walkways and soldiers meandered about, most of them in various states of drunkenness.

They slid into an alley way, and right into three soldiers sitting on the ground, playing some sort of betting game. The Blue Spirit was fast, two of the men were down almost instantly, bashed in the back of the head with the hilts of his broadswords. The third soldier tried to run away, down the alleyway.

Kat saw the leather drinking flasks, and tried to bend what was left in them out. Much to her pleasant surprise, one of the flasks was almost full. With a glob of wine, Kat lashed out at the fleeing soldier, grabbing his legs and pulling him down with her whip. Her masked friend was on him as he went down, slamming his head into the ground.

The Blue Spirit started stripping the unconscious soldier below him. Kat quickly did the same, and in a matter of minutes both of them were wearing Fire Nation armor. It was large and a bit droopy on Kat, but she knotted it and made it as presentable as possible. Her masked friend had rapidly swapped his blue mask for a Fire Nation helm, which had the same effect of hiding his face.

They emerged from the alley way, and walked swiftly towards Zuko's small ship. None of the soldiers wandering the piers took any notice of them.

Once hidden by the shadow of the small ship, Kat bended the water, forming a flat ice shelf and stepping onto it. Her rescuer stepped onto it beside her and Kat bended them up onto the ship's deck.

Kat exhaled in a great big sigh. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath since they had exited in the alleyway in Fire Nation armor.

"Thank you," Kat paused, staring at her companion, who had his back to her. "…Zuko."

He whipped around towards her, surprised and somewhat angrily.

Kat shrugged a little. It wasn't hard to figure out; only about 5 people knew where she was and 3 of them were Zhao and his two soldier minions. Obviously, it wasn't Iroh that had come to rescue her.

Zuko hadn't really though this far ahead. There was no good way to leave her and escape with his mask and identity in tact. Of course, when she spoke he realized it was worthless to try anyways, she already knew. _It couldn't have been that hard to figure out; she's not stupid._ He chided himself mentally and tried to control his anger at being found out.

"Thank you, really. I can't imagine what Zhao…." Kat just let her sentence die, and shuddered. "I guess I owe you."

Zuko said nothing. He didn't even remove his helmet, but turned and headed straight for the ship's control room. Only once he was a few paces away did he remove the helmet.

Kat stared at the door as it closed, and Zuko was gone from sight. Within a few minutes the ship shuddered as the engines turned on, and a few crewmen scurried across the deck, untying the lead ropes and throwing them back down to the pier as the ship began to pull away from the harbor.

Down at the pier there was a sudden flurry of activity. A half a dozen soldiers, led by Zhao, came running from the tents and buildings, yelling at the retreating ship.

They threw a few fire balls at the ship, but they only sizzled and dissipated against the metal hull.

--------------

The ceiling of Kat's small room was black, smooth, and perfect. It had no flaws, no marks; it was just perfect black metal. It wasn't like the Earth Kingdom ships Kat had seen as a very small child. Those had been hand made, from wood and straw. Those ships had, well, _character_. This ship was just cold and purposeful; like the Fire Nation itself.

_I wonder how Kai and the others are doing, I wonder if they made there alright._ Kat sighed as she stared at the ceiling. _I wonder if the South Pole is everything we thought it would be._

In another couple of days, it would be three weeks since Kat had seen her friends; since she had become a prisoner. Her run in with Zhao had shaken her deeply and rekindled her hatred for the Fire Nation and all its citizens. Her desire to escape was renewed, fueled by the fear and disgust Zhao's actions had instilled in her.

Worse yet, she owed her life to her own captor._ There has to be a motive_, Kat thought angrily, _he didn't just help me from the goodness of his heart._

-------------

"Is something troubling you Miss Kat?" The old general appeared a few paces away, hands folded in his sleeves.

Kat was leaning over the rail of the ship, watching the water below. She bit her lower lip while she considered talking to him or not. She didn't look up from the water. "What are you going to do with me?" Kat opted to be point blank.

"Prince Zuko is unsure." Iroh paused to study Kat's profile. "I have suggested to him that he let you go at the next port."

Kat nodded faintly, her gold flecked brown eyes focused on the ocean still. "I know he wants me gone, and I want off this damn ship."

The old general frowned. He honestly didn't want to her leave; he still believed she could be a good influence on Zuko. However, it would take time and neither teenager had any patience. "I think he will agree with me. He does not wish to lose the Avatar's trail, but surely we will stop at a port soon, and you will be free to go."

"Why do you stay with him?" Kat twisted around, resting her hip and elbow against the cold metal railing as she leaned on it. Zuko always seemed to speak to his uncle the same way he did to everyone else: rudely. It didn't strike her as a nice way to treat your relatives, especially one that chose to accompany you when you were banished.

Iroh did not respond at first. His forehead wrinkled a bit as his brows furrowed in thought. "He is my Nephew." He finally stated.

"But that isn't a reason to take his abuse. He doesn't seem to appreciate you being here." Kat's hazel eyes studied Iroh closely, trying to read what he wasn't saying.

"My Nephew is rough around the edges, but inside, he has a good heart. With some time, and the support of others, he will become a good man."

Kat chewed her lower lip for a moment, considering what he said. _A good heart?_ She thought, _he's Ozai's son, how can that be?._

"Zuko does not like to accept help, but in time, he will learn to. Accepting help from others does not mean that we are weak. It means that we know our own limits." Iroh sighed. "My brother is a harsh man, Prince Zuko has much to unlearn from him."

Kat nodded slightly, realizing he wasn't only talking about Zuko.

-----------------------------

It had been a few days since they left the Fire Nation naval base. As far as Kat could tell, they didn't have a real course they were following, but changed direction every time a new messenger hawk arrived with the latest information on the Avatar's whereabouts.

Kat stepped onto the dark deck. The moon was almost gone, reduced to a bare sliver that was paler than even the stars around it. She certainly didn't need the moon out to bend, but it made her feel stronger.

Movement on the deck made her pause. The shadowed figure paced a few steps back and forth, before stopping and staring out at the dark sea.

_You know damn well it's her time, she'll be here soon, what are you doing?_ Zuko's inner monologue accosted him. He paced, paused, and paced again. He couldn't sleep, and had come to the deck, only to find he had beat Kat here. Instead of hanging back and waiting, Zuko had decided to stare at the inky darkness of the ocean and think. The waterbender annoyed him, she could push his buttons without batting an eye. Yet when Zhao took her, Zuko hadn't hesitated in deciding to find her and bring her back. _Why did I rescue her?_

_She's going to start yelling if she finds you here when she wants to practice._ Zuko scoffed softly at himself, _and why should I care if she yells?_ Kat was brash and crude; if she had a problem, she said it. Sometimes Zuko noticed that she spoke before even knew what she was saying. Kat had a tendency to slap her own hand over her mouth if words rushed out that even she wasn't expecting.

Unlike the soldiers, the ships crew, and well, just about everyone he had ever known, Kat wasn't afraid. She wasn't afraid of him, or anything he could do to her. _Or if she is she doesn't show it, _he thought. Zuko was used to being appeased; people didn't tell Fire Nation royalty the truth if it was bad, they lied. They bowed and scraped the ground and hoped they wouldn't take the blame for carrying bad news.

Kat, on the other hand, told the truth with her head held high, regardless of whether it pissed Zuko off or not. It was infuriating. It was also sort of refreshing. It was new. _She really doesn't give a damn that I'm a Prince._ He wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Kat finally spoke up, heading straight towards Zuko.

"It's my ship." He retorted simply. His obvious response made her lip curl with annoyance. It made him snicker to himself.

"Yes, but why you out _here_ right _now_." Kat stopped a few feet away from him, near the railing.

"I need a reason?" Zuko evaded her question. He wasn't about to admit that he couldn't sleep, nor that he had come to watch her practice her bending, only to find that she wasn't doing so yet.

"Grr!" Kat furrowed her brows with annoyance. "Yes, you do. It's late, everyone else is sleeping, you should be too, so why are you here?"

"You're not sleeping." It was another obvious statement from Zuko that earned another growl of annoyance from Kat.

"I'm water tribe, I like night time, and being out when the moon is." Kat retorted quickly.

Zuko didn't respond for a minute. She sort of had a point. He knew she wasn't going to stop asking why he was out on deck at this hour until she either got an answer from him, or picked a fight.

Kat waited for his response. When it didn't come after a minute, she sighed loudly. "Why did you save me?" She decided to take the conversation in a different direction.

Her sudden pointed question threw Zuko off guard. He straightened up a bit, and looked back out at the dark sea. He had wondered that himself. Zuko wasn't about to let her know that though, so he made up a response. "Because Zhao doesn't take something from me and get away with it." It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't all there was to it.

_Hah! I was right, there __**is**__ a motive! _Kat narrowed her gaze at him, and realized that he was avoiding eye contact with her. _Or maybe not...maybe he's lying_.

Zuko had added a touch of defiant anger to his words, but not much. He still wasn't looking at her. The way Kat would match his gaze was unnerving and he was a bad liar to begin with.

"That's the only reason? Because you have some sort of competition with that…scumbag?" Kat wasn't sure if she believed him; her tone said it for her:_ you're lying aren't you?_ She folded her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one leg.

"Yes that's the only reason." Zuko stated as simply, and with as much annoyance, as possible.

"Figures." Kat muttered under her breath and turned away, leaning over the railing and staring down at the shimmering water below.

"If you have something to say, _peasant_, say it." Zuko snapped at her reflectively.

Kat's lips parted, as if to say something, but she paused. She arched an eyebrow, and stared at him. _He just WANTS to piss me off! He's asking for it._ "I said, that figures. I didn't really think you'd actually _care_ about someone other than yourself or your own pride. You should have left me there; I would have gotten free myself." She huffed.

"Of course you would have. You had no weapons, no water in reach, and _no clothes_. You were just about to get free." His sarcasm was dripping. He knew what to say to get her even angrier and to continue to avoid having a real conversation. As he spoke though, Zuko remembered seeing her in that tent.

'_All of these damn tents look the same' Zuko thought angrily. 'How the hell am I supposed to find Zhao's?' He moved silently and swiftly, among the shadows, looking for a tent that stood out. He knew Zhao's would stand out from the rest of his men's; he was too prideful not to have something special. His heart raced, he had to be fast, Zhao was sure to be returning soon. Sure enough, after making his way a few blocks into the tent-town, Zuko saw one in the back, twice as large as any other, and proudly marked with two Fire Nation flags._

_His body still ached from the fight with Zhao. Zuko's adrenaline was still running high; he had beaten that pompous prick fairly and it felt good. Iroh's words felt even better though. "Even in exile, my Nephew is more honorable than you." It still echoed in his head, even as Zuko dashed between tents, hiding and waiting for soldiers to pass by._

_Throwing open the tent flaps he had seen Katsumi, curled against the tent pole, wrists firmly shackled and stripped to her underwear. His gut twisted with rage. He __**should**__ have burned Zhao at the end of their duel, instead of letting him go. What kind of sick evil man – especially one of Zhao's age! – ties up a teenaged girl?_

_The second thing Zuko noticed though, was the red marks on Kat's back and abdomen and felt a pang of guilt._

"Or **ignore** me; that's alright too." Kat was rolling her eyes at him. "I'm sure I'm too _lowly_ for you to even respond to right?"

Zuko had no idea what she'd said, and he needed to cover for it, fast. "I'll ignore you if I so desire, I am the _Prince_ of the Fire Nation after all." He scoffed.

"**Banished** Prince you mean." Kat snapped before she even had a chance to think about it. _Oh that one's going to start a fight,_ she thought.

"I'm still better than you are." Zuko spat back at her.

"Oh? Why? Because your father is a power hungry monster who praises cruelty and violence? Because you happened to born to a family with money and power but devoid of morals or honor?" Kat sneered. "You and your family are the reason I don't have my parents anymore. You take lives without remorse and leave nothing but destruction and pain in your wake. I didn't really think you'd rescued me because you cared, your kind don't under what's right, only what gets you ahead. You're not better than me, you're pathetic."

She was shaking from head to toe, her hands clenched into fists so tight her nails bit into her own skin and drew blood. She turned and started to walk away.

Zuko's hands were also clenched into fists, except they were wreathed in flames. "Why you! Don't walk away from me!"

Kat didn't even turn around, but rather broke into a sprint. The slamming of her room door reverberated through the entire ship.

------------------


	4. Mutual Respect

**A.N.**_ **4-27-07 **- This is the re-written version. Enjoy, and please review!_

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Mutual Respect**_

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, its first rays glittering orange across the ocean's calm surface. It cast the ship's deck into long shadows.

Kat and Zuko were both already on the deck, in fighting stances. They glared at each other with silent anger. The soldiers who normally sparred not far from them had stopped what they were doing and backed up to the railings – they'd seen that look in Zuko's eyes before.

Neither teenager had slept much the night before, only worsening their attitudes. Without any warning, Zuko attacked.

He charged her, staying within melee range and keeping her on the defensive, retreating from his onslaught of kicks and flames.

Kat kept up with him, ducking and dodging a few of his attacks and blocking one by daring to grab his wrist, which he quickly twisted out of. She froze his feet to the deck with one smooth movement, giving her a chance to dash back a few feet and get some breathing room.

The ice didn't stop Zuko for long, but it did give Kat a few feet space. She slicked the deck down; the lack of traction would slow Zuko's attacks for a few minutes. It did, but not enough. Kat blocked a few more attacks with an ice shield. She attempted a water whip, only to have it evaporated. Every time she felt his flames burn her skin she got even angrier. And every time her water cut him, Zuko got angrier.

Zuko advanced again, narrowing the gap between then. Up close, Zuko was at an advantage; he was trained in melee combat while Kat was not. She'd been learning in the few weeks on board, but she wasn't even close to Zuko.

Bending more water from her pouch, Kat coated her arm in it, from wrist to elbow. Armored, she used it to block his next punch. Zuko cursed and grabbed for her arm. Defensively, Kat fell back with one leg and pulled her arm out of reach. With what water was left in her pouch, Kat bended it all out and sent one massive jet of water at Zuko.

It was enough to drive him back a few feet. Slipping on the ice, Zuko stumbled briefly, dropping to one knee before regaining his footing.

Kat raced to bend the water from the deck into something she could actually use; her pouch was now empty. She heard the roar of fury that came from Zuko as he regained his footing and launched a new wave of attacks at her. She managed to duck the first ball of fire, only to take the second in her right shoulder. It twisted her off balance and her own ice worked against her; Kat dropped to her knees.

Panting, Zuko stalked towards the waterbender. She clenched her right shoulder with her left hand, but glared up at him defiantly.

"_I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son."_

"_Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!"_

"_I won't fight you!"_

"_You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."_

Zuko stopped dead in his tracks, the flames that wreathing his hand died out instantly. Unbidden, the duel with his father replayed in his mind. Before him, Kat was on her knees just a few paces away. _What was I going to do?_

Unlike Zuko so long ago though, she didn't prostrate herself nor say a word. She only glared at the approaching Prince.

Her shoulder throbbed. She could feel the warmth of the burn and the stickiness of blood beneath her fingers. "Are you happy, Prince?" Kat hissed the title with disgust. "You won." She continued to glare at him, waiting for him to make a move.

Zuko didn't respond; he only stared at her. The anger in his gold eyes was gone, replaced with confusion as he tried to shake the memory from his mind. Suddenly, he turned and walked away, the flames that danced on his hands dying out.

Kat watched him leave, her golden flecked eyes narrowed with rage. She climbed to her feet and with one fluid motion bended water off the ground, froze it into razor sharp daggers of ice and flung it at the retreating prince with all she had left.

He never had a chance to defend himself. Several pieces of ice embedded themselves in his back. Zuko dropped to one knee, catching himself with his hand on the cold, wet metal deck.

It was silent. No one even dared to breathe. Iroh burst from below deck, and paused to take in the situation.

_What have I done?_ Kat thought. Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in shock and horror at herself. _"__**What have I done?**__"_

Iroh rushed to Zuko's side, but already the prince was rising to his feet. His movements were slowed; he brushed away Iroh's helping hands.

Wide eyed, Kat suddenly ran past them. Moments later the ship once again reverberated with the slamming of her door.

-------------

The physician was forced to give Zuko some herbal sedatives in order to stitch shut his wounds. The Prince was too wound up with anger and confusion to sit still long enough to get himself fixed up.

In a deep sleep finally, Zuko dreamed.

_The arena was lit by torches, so many so that it was hard to tell it wasn't sunlight. The royal arena was crowded with people, but their faces blurred together. Zuko didn't need to see them to know who was in the crowd: Iroh, Zhao, and Azula. _

_He could feel the warmth of the ground against his forehead as he bowed, and begged. He could feel the warm wetness of his tears as they ran down his cheeks. It didn't matter what he said, his father kept advancing. Zuko squeezed his eyes shut in preparation of what he knew was coming._

_When he opened his eyes, he was standing. He stared down at a brown haired girl. Her mahogany hair hung in unkempt strands; a tangled mess that had come free of her braids. She was on her knees but refused to bow. Instead she glared with defiance, daring him to ….to what? He wasn't sure, but her defiance angered him. Zuko could feel the flames as they danced on his fist._

_He raised his fist and prepared to strike. The girl on the ground lowered her head as if in defeat._

_She looked up again, only, it wasn't a girl anymore. Zuko gasped. He found himself staring at his younger self. The tears still streamed down his cheeks. _

_He flinched, and found himself back on his knees. Except he wasn't staring up at his father, he was staring up at himself. He saw the flames coming towards him._

With a shout Zuko leapt out of bed. He was breathing hard. _It was just a dream_, he tried to calm himself down.

Zuko splashed water on his face from the wash bowl, trying to shake off the dream and wake up. The movement made his wounds throb with protest. He straightened, blotting his face with the towel. His reflection stared back at him.

_I'm not like him;_ Zuko ran a finger across his scar. _I'm not._

_So what were you going to do?_ He still hadn't answered the question that plagued him. He knew the answer though, but it wasn't one he wanted to hear.

Zuko splashed his face with water again, as if it might wash the confusion from his mind. _I almost let my anger get the best of me._

-------------

Kat stood in front of her small dresser. It was battered old metal, dented and a bit rusted. A washbowl of clean water sat on its top, and a mirror rested half-hazardly against the wall.

She splashed some water on her face first, cleaning the sweat from her eyes. With her hand gloved in faintly glowing water, Kat began to heal her burns. One by one the angry marks closed and sealed shut; it was fascinating to watch. She'd never known water benders could heal until she had reached the North Pole. The fact they wouldn't teach her combat bending had angered her, but at least her healing skills were well advanced.

Focused on healing herself, Kat let the minutes tick by and tried not to think about what had happened. When she was done, she let the water drip back into the wash bowl.

Her reflection watched her movements, looking back at her with disappointment.

"_How could you Kat?"_ Her mothers voice whispered in her mind. _"How could you treat him like that?"_

In the mirror she can see her dream replaying for her. _"How could you Kat?"_

"I…I…" she stammered. Her vision blurred with tears. She blinked rapidly to fight them back in a losing battle. "I let my anger get the best of me," she whispers, "and now I've become the kind of person I hate."

"_If you carry so much hate in your heart it will corrupt you too one day."_

Her tears finally broke free and cascaded down her cheeks. Her knees buckled and she sank to the ground, unable to look at herself in the mirror anymore.

--------------

Hours later there was a knock on Kat's door. She wiped at her eyes and stood up, using the dresser for support.

Iroh waited patiently for the door to open, Zuko was still asleep from the tea. The physician had bandaged him and let him rest. When Kat did open the door, her eyes were still red and her brown hair tangled and disheveled.

She avoided his eyes and said nothing.

"Miss Kat," Iroh began with a sigh, "the soldiers have told me what you said to Zuko and what happened and –"

"Don't." Kat held up her hand to stop him. "I was wrong, about a lot of things."

"Oh?"

"I…I blamed him for the war, and all the pain it's caused, because he's Ozai's son. And I…I shouldn't. I can't blame him for what others have done. I just…I was wrong." Her voice is soft and distant.

"That is good to hear Miss Kat." Iroh shifted his weight from one leg to another, and folded his hands in his sleeves. It seemed to be a usual position for him while speaking.

"Zuko's kept his word in our deal, he rescued me from Zhao, and he stopped himself today, and I returned it all by stabbing him in the back – literally. I…I'm no better than the people I've grown up hating." She licks her lips slowly and stares at the ground; it hurts to say out loud what she's been thinking for the past few hours. _I didn't mean to disappoint you Mom,_ she thinks.

"We all make mistakes, but we must learn to forgive, not just others, but ourselves, only then can we move forwards and make amends. My nephew is not a bad man, as I have told you before. I think it is time you knew how he got the scar that defines him."

She finally peeled her golden-flecked eyes from the ground to look at him, though the eye contact is only brief. "How?"

"I let Zuko in to a council meeting in the War Room. There, one of the older generals suggested a strategy which would have put new recruits on the front line, using them as a distraction for an elite team to sneak around back." Iroh's normally jolly features darken with old anger, "Zuko realized this would result in the deaths of many of the recruits, and he spoke out against it. Unfortunately, my brother does not have compassion, even for his own family. For his outburst, Zuko was challenged to an Agni Kai – a Fire Bender's duel - except it was not against the old general, but against his own father. Ozai gave him that scar when Zuko refused to fight him."

Kat's jaw dropped. _He was branded for caring for his people_, she realized. Her heart sank with a new degree of guilt for the things she had said.

"There are many things that Zuko still has to learn, or has learned but has yet to accept. I have faith that he will become the good man I know him to be."

"He's lucky to have you as an uncle, and a mentor, then." She ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down a little bit and sighed, "Can I see him?"

"Of course Miss Kat, he is in his room, resting."

"Thank you, Iroh."

------------

"Come in!" Zuko, sitting on the corner of his bed, assumed the knock on the door was Iroh.

The heavy metal door open just a little bit, Kat slipped inside, and shut.

"Get out." He demanded, shocked that she'd dare to show her face in his own room.

Kat didn't listen and approached him, biting her lip nervously. She dropped to her knees in front of him, but didn't bow her head. Sitting back on her haunches she said softly, "I'm sorry Zuko. I was wrong about a lot of things, and I was wrong to attack you with your back turned."

"Get up," he was uncomfortable with her kneeling, and with her apology. He stood up, wincing with pain, and paced to the other side of the room.

She rose as he demanded; swallowing a lump of guilt when he winced. "I really am sorry. I…I've never acted like that before." _I've never felt that kind of malice before._ "Let me heal your wounds."

It was rare that Zuko didn't know what to say; he could always come up with something. This was one of those few times, and so he kept his mouth shut. _I can't remember the last time someone actually apologized to me._

A few moments of silence ticked by, and since Zuko didn't protest, Kat walked to the dresser and dipped her hands into the washbowl. The prince kept pacing. As she approached him again he stepped out of her reach. "Please, it's the least I can do. We can't pretend like it didn't happen, but no one has to carry any scars from it." He stopped pacing and turned around towards her.

The water was cool against his skin; Kat marveled at his warmth. She started with the shallow cuts on his bicep and chest, her eyes downcast and focused on her work. With nimble fingers she carefully began to remove the white linen bandage wrapped around his torso. She didn't ask him to move, but rather stepped behind him herself.

Zuko heard her gasp softly behind him and took a deep breath. Kat stared in horror, not just at the angry puncture wounds she had given him, but at the pale pink scars that ran down his back. _He's been whipped, several times at least._

"These will sting a little…" she forewarned him before placing her hands over the first stab wound. They glowed a soft white; he grunted but otherwise didn't show any sign of pain. There were four deep wounds in all, taking Kat a good fifteen minutes to finish. When she was done, she let the water drip off her hands to the floor. Before stepping away, Kat dared to trace one of the old scars with her finger tip.

The world spun for a moment as Kat stepped back. She was exhausted physically and mentally, and now had over taxed her bending skills. She moved to the bed and sat down quickly before her legs had a chance to buckle on her, not thinking of the fact that this was the Fire Nation Prince's bed.

"Will you forgive me?" Kat broke the silence and finally lifted her eyes to meet Zuko's.

With a bit of surprise, he realized she had been crying, the faint pink hue to her eyes giving her away. Forgiveness is not an ability his father had had nor encouraged in his children.

Zuko nodded.

The corner of her lips curled with a smile of relief.

"I guess I should go get some rest," Kat stood up from the bed, not entirely sure if she'll make it to her room before falling asleep. Part of her hoped for an apology from him as well, but she knew not to expect too much; she could see how difficult it was for Zuko to handle her apology.

As she stepped past him, his hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm. She stopped and turned to him expectantly.

Suddenly all the things Zuko wanted to say evaporated in his mind, leaving him to murmur, "I'm sorry about your parents," before letting go of her arm.

"Thank you," she managed to respond with surprise before turning away.

At the doorway she stopped, with hand on the cool metal handle. She spoke to the door without turning around, "I don't understand why you hide your heart Zuko. Compassion isn't a weakness; it's an asset to a good leader. A good leader can balance compassion with power."

Zuko said nothing, he didn't move either, but watched her in his peripheral vision.

"I can't pretend to understand you. I just know that you're a damn talented fire bender and as stubborn and strong willed as I am. I'm sorry for this morning, and thank you again, for rescuing me from Zhao." With that, she pulled the door open and left before he could respond.

-----------------

Overhead the sky was overcast with dark grey clouds and below the water was shrouded in gray fog. It was mid-evening and Zuko and Kat stared out at the dark sea, searching for a horizon that didn't exist.

Most of the crew was still finishing eating; a few were playing various board games like pai sho. Kat wasn't really sure how she'd wound up on the deck with Zuko really, but she didn't mind. As far as she could tell, he didn't either. The friction had finally given way to a quiet understanding.

Zuko was thinking about her parting remarks from earlier. He hadn't ever been complimented on his bending before. In fact, his sister and father had reminded him daily of how bad he was. Unlike Azula, Zuko was not a prodigy, and he had to work hard to improve his fire bending. It seemed to him that Kat was the same way. He hadn't had the chance to reply, but he had realized he respected her skills.

A couple of parrot-dolphins broke the surface a few yards from the ship's bow.

"Oh! Look!" Kat was quickly distracted, seizing the opportunity to break the uncomfortable silence without having to come up with something to say.

"So? They're just parrot-dolphins." Zuko shrugged, "What's the big deal?"

"They're so neat! They're fun to watch." Kat beamed like a little kid as she watched the animals leap from the air and splash back down. "I guess you see them frequently though so they're not special anymore."

Zuko shrugged again. "I guess. I wouldn't really know I don't normally look for them." He glanced at Kat, who was still smiling as she watched the parrot-dolphins below. Something about the way she lit up at the sight of animals made him think of the turtleducks back home as a child.

Kat kept her eyes on the parrot-dolphins and mused out loud, "You didn't have a lot of friends as a kid did you Zuko?"

The prince frowned a bit. The only person who used his first name so casually was Iroh, and he was family. And that was only in private. Even his father never called him by name. She had done it before as well, but he hadn't really noticed it then. _She really doesn't know how to treat royalty_, he thought. _No, she just doesn't care,_ he corrected himself

"I…no. Not really. Azula had Ty Lee and Mai, but I don't remember any real friends in the palace."

"Azula?" Kat still watched the parrot-dolphins; it unnerved him now that she wasn't making eye contact.

"My sister."

"Ahh." More silence. _This is the most he's ever said to me I think,_ Kat realized. It was still uncomfortable, but it was lightening up a bit. "I guess it's sort of obvious." She laughed softly.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Zuko felt his anger rising, _she's laughing at me?!_

"It just means that you don't seem used to having someone your age around." Kat shrugged and finally straightened and looked back at him. His gold eyes met hers.

"Royal family members don't associate with commoners, if that's what you're getting at." Zuko's gaze flashed with annoyance.

He expected Kat to snap at him, and for a whole new fight to start, but she didn't. Kat stared at him intensely for moment, before shaking her head sadly. "You don't get it Zuko. You're not better than anyone else just because you have more power. One day, you'll have to spend time with 'we commoners' and then you'll see. You'll learn it, one way or another. Everyone needs a friend or two eventually." She shrugged, and finally started walking away. She took only a few steps before pausing, and glancing over her shoulder. "And for what it's worth, Iroh told me how you got your scar, since you never did. And I think you did the right thing, speaking out against the general and for your people like that. I think your father was wrong. And I don't think you have to regain your honor; you never lost it." Again, she walked away from him, although this time he was too lost in thought to care.

-------------

Iroh watched the girl as she drew water from the ocean below and began to practice. Her movements were fluid and smooth and had improved since the first time he saw her fight his nephew. He realized Zuko would be around soon to watch her; Iroh always knew what was going on.

"Evening Miss Kat," he said as he approached her, bowing a little. She startled a bit but didn't drop the water as she pulled and pushed the orb in her hands.

"Evening General Iroh."

"Please, it is Uncle Iroh, or just Iroh." He offered with a smile. It surprised her how calm he was considering she had tried to kill his beloved nephew. "I am glad that you and Zuko have reached a point of mutual respect."

_Mutual respect? I guess that's a good term for it._ She nodded a little bit. Kat stared at the water as she wrapped around her hand, then slipped it off and wrapped around the other. _Iroh seems like a good man now, even if perhaps long ago he wasn't. And he's right, Zuko has a heart that he chooses to ignore. _She sighed softly as she continued play with her water, letting the tendrils slither up and down and around her body. T_he Fire Nation Royalty has been corrupt for almost a century, yet these two aren't. Maybe if Iroh were Fire Lord this war would have ended._

Suddenly, Kat looked up sharply. "Zuko's the key isn't he?"

"What do you mean?" Iroh's normally jovial face grew serious and questioning. He didn't mind the silence, it was best for thinking, yet clearly she was considering complicated issues.

"This war has gone on for a hundred years. Defeating the current Fire Lord means nothing. His son assumes the throne, and the war continues. But if that son was different, if he was sick of the war, and the violence, and the destruction…."

The older man nodded faintly. "This war will not end until there is a Fire Lord who wants it to."

"So why not you?" Kat tilted her head as she studied Iroh.

"That is a long story, perhaps for another night. But simply enough, now I am too old to rule, and without an heir myself." Iroh stated, sadness creeping into his voice. "You are right, Miss Kat. If Zuko were to learn such lessons while outside of the Fire Nation and then become Fire Lord, the war could finally end."

"Then I hope he does learn, and I hope you can teach him well. A hundred years is too long."

"I agree," he replied, his voice tainted with regret. "I shall leave you to your practicing, Miss Kat, sleep well."

He passed Zuko in the hallway as he headed back to his room.

------------------

Kat raced down the hallway, exploded out of the door onto the deck, and skidded to a halt. "Sorry!" she shouted. She had over slept by about an hour. It was understandable given her exhaustion from the previous day, but she still felt bad. Land was in sight; the ship would be docked by the afternoon and Kat would leave. She didn't want their last sparring session to be the previous days fight.

Across the deck Zuko was finishing a round with a soldier. Dodging a blast of flame, Zuko cleanly executed a spinning jump-kick and the blast of fire from his foot sent the soldier tumbling back.

He looked over at Kat. "It's about time you go out of bed, damn water benders," he yelled.

Kat saw the soldiers tense up, even at a distance. A few looked away. They suspected another fight was coming. Instead, Kat laughed, and made her way across the deck. "Not everyone is a morning person. Besides, I wasn't given permission to sleep until late last night," she shot back at him with a playful smirk. And for once, Zuko didn't take it as an insult, but accepted her sarcastic teasing.

The two benders took their fighting positions, and the sparring match began. Kat could feel that Zuko was holding back on her. She could only figure that he was afraid of repeating yesterday, of seriously injuring her. But Kat wanted a fair match for their last one, and so she went all out.

Trying something new, Kat let part of her whip break off and fly at Zuko. As it went through the air, she froze it, effectively turning it into an ice spear. He dodged it with ease, but his face reflected his awe.

She pushed harder, forcing Zuko pushed harder in return. Even so, Kat won and demanded a rematch in which he wouldn't let her win. Zuko denied doing such a thing. The second match, he won.

By then the morning was almost gone; the sun had climbed high in the sky, and the port was in sight. Kat washed up, changed, and packed what few things she had.

She emerged onto the ship's deck for the last time.

"Here, take this." Iroh thrust a brown leather sack at her. It was bulging; Kat guessed it was food, but she wasn't sure what else.

"No I –"

"I insist!" He hooked the bag onto her arm.

Kat shrugged it up onto her shoulder and smiled. "Thank you." Impulsively, she threw her arms around the old man's neck in a big hug and whispered, "Thank you. Good luck with him, and fare well Uncle." She stepped back. Zuko had appeared on the deck near the gangplank, pacing back and forth.

"Prince Zuko, I...Thank you, for everything. I hope you've learned as much as I have."

"Farewell Kat." It was all he said. Zuko was clearly uncomfortable. Goodbyes were always awkward, especially this one. He still wasn't sure what to make of her.

_That's the first time he's used my name,_ Kat realized with a smile. "Good luck finding your way home. Remember that home is most than we were raised, it's anywhere our loved ones are." In her heart, she didn't want him to catch the Avatar. Zuko thought the only way home was to capture the Avatar and return to his Father, but Kat had faith that he would find another way. "Maybe we'll meet again some day. Farewell."

Kat turned, walked down the gangplank, and never looked back.

-------------

The ship left port the same day. It was quieter without Kat around, and calmer. The crew relaxed; they weren't afraid of another fight breaking out between the stubborn water bender and their stubborn prince. The tension was gone.

The sun set and the stars came out. The ship was far from port. The moon over head remained only partially full, offering a little light, but not much.

The deck was quiet except for the soft sound of water lapping past the ship as moved. It was deserted, except for one figure, leaning against the wall.

Zuko stared at the empty space near the railing. As usual, his mind raced with a dozen different thoughts and just as many questions. Except tonight, there was no waterbender to watch to help him relax. Tonight, there was only a memory of a girl who dared to defy a prince, who refused to bow to anyone, and who had earned his respect.

He watched the empty deck for an hour, and then retired to his room.

* * *

**A.N. **_This concludes "Faith in the Enemy"_ _but the story of Kat and Zuko continues in "The Other Waterbender: Finding the Way" so please go to my profile and follow the links from there to the second part!_


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